Say Hi to Hedgehogs by Jane McGuiness

Follow this lovely little creature through the year and learn what hedgehogs like to eat, how they hunt for their food, where they build their nests, the time it takes for them grow from tiny hoglets into healthy adults and, as the seasons turn, 

how they prepare for hibernation.

You are right - we do not have hedgehogs here in Australia but that does not stop my fascination. Several years ago I visited a family in Sussex and they were delighted to show me a baby hedgehog and they also explained how people in their rural village or hamlet were anxious to create safe spaces for these tiny creatures. In the USA this book has a different cover and title - Prickly Hedgehogs. Say hi to Hedgehogs is a title from the Nature Story Book (or formerly called Read and Wonder) book series published by Walker Books (Candlewick in the US).  Click the label at the bottom of this post to find more books from this fabulous series. 

You can see just how sweet they look in this glorious illustration by Brian Wildsmith from his book Wild Animals:

Here are a couple of my favourite hedgehog books:

I'm Not Scared by Britta Teckentrup

The Hodgeheg by Dick King Smith

Find more book ideas here - 2nd February 2019 Hedgehog Day (Kinderbookswitheverything); and 2nd February 2023 Hedgehog Day (Kinderbookswitheverything). 

Jane McGuinness is also the illustrator of this terrific book that you MUST add to your library:

We are the Wibbly

My Pet Goldfish by Catherine Rayner

"When I was four, I got my first ever pet: a fish no bigger than my hand, with red and orange scales. My very own goldfish! He didn't have a name yet so I got to choose one - and I called him 'Richard'".

Richard is not alone - he lives in a fish tank with her sister's fish. The young girl loves spending time with Richard - telling him about her day. Sandy, the boy next door also has some goldfish but this live in pond in his garden. When you turn to the page filled with the fish in Sandy's pond you will gasp at all the colours.

There are facts on each page of this book: did you know there are over two hundred different kinds of goldfish with names like comets, bubble eyes and pompoms. And did you know that a group of goldfish is called a “troubling” or that the oldest ever goldfish was 43 years old?

Eventually Richard grows too big for the fish tank and so the girl takes him over to Sandy's to live in his pond. 

Because this book is a combination of narrative and nonfiction it contains an index, further reading list, and a page of author notes. 

My Pet Goldfish was published in 2021 - I am not sure how I missed it. AND it is illustrated (and written) by Catherine Rayner which is another reason I should have been aware of this book. Here is a video of Catherine reading her book. 

The lovely and delicate mixed-media illustrations sparkle with color; we see Richard, other fish, bubbles, and aquatic plants drift serenely in gentle waters. ... Delightful and validating for first-time or would-be goldfish guardians. Kirkus

In the US this book has a different cover:

In the library where I spend a joyous day as a volunteer the Teacher-Librarian has gathered together all of her books from the Nature Storybook (or previously Read and Wonder) series from Walker books. I think she might have nearly every one of these splendid nonfiction titles. Recently she set up a display of books about goldfish and it proved very popular with the children and now this topic links perfectly with one of the CBCA 2026 Early Childhood shortlisted titles - Derek.

Derek

The Argonaut Queen by LP Hansen illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy

The subject of this book is a totally new discovery for me. I had no idea about this amazing creature.

This creature is sometimes called a ‘paper nautilus’ isn’t actually a nautilus. Also known as argonauts, these creatures derive their name from the paper-thin, spiralled shell that females produce to shield their eggs.  Argonauts are a type of octopus, while the nautilus is, well, a nautilus. Both species are cephalopods, the taxonomic class comprising all octopuses, cuttlefish, squid, and nautiluses. Argonauts happen to be the world’s only pelagic octopuses. Instead of living near a structure on the seafloor, like a rocky shoreline or coral reef, like most octopus species, argonauts spend their lives floating near the surface of the open ocean. The genus Argonauta derives its name from Greek mythology. The Argonauts were the famed sailors of the ship Argo, who helped Jason on his quest to recover the Golden Fleece. Early naturalists thought that argonauts ‘sailed’ around the ocean using two of their tentacles, hence the name… and a lot of weird anatomical postures in early drawings of argonauts. (In reality, argonauts scoot about by expelling water through their funnels.) Source

The Argonaut Queen opens with six huge shells on the end papers - these are the six species of Argonauts. 

"She's a Queen of the Ocean, bold and beautiful, around the size of a human hand. She travels the seas, carrying her shell like a Greek goddess's helmet. She's a pink coloured octopus called an argonaut and she makes this shell herself."

I laughed when I read that the male argonaut is the size of a peanut! The Queen starts making her shell when she is just twelve days old and when it is large enough it can hold up to 250,000 eggs at a time. When the babies are born they are smaller than a rice grain. If I was sharing this book with a group of students I would bring along a container of rice and hold up one grain. I was also fascinated to read that the argonaut can repair her own shell. 

How do we know anything about the argonaut? The first research was done by a French woman named Jeanne Villepreux-Power. She was a marine biologist and she worked out a way to study the argonaut in the ocean using her invention of an aquarium. Sadly, though, her large collection of shells, reports and drawings were lost when the cargo ship carrying them sank. Also, as with many women scientists of her time it took years for her research to be taken seriously. 

I found two more books about this remarkable woman who was born in 1794.

This book is why I visit school libraries, it's why I read kid's books, and it's why I wish I was back in my former school library. I would love to add this book to my library collection and then put it into the hands of readers and teachers. The Teacher-Librarian in the school where I work as a volunteer has such a good eye for book treasures. She found this one in a local bookstore.

Publisher blurb: Dive into the oceans — and into the depths of history — with the Argonaut Queen, an expertly-told story that weaves together the marine science of these fascinating creatures and the woman who we have to thank for it, Jeanne Villepreux-Power, one of the earliest studiers of this subspecies of octopus and the many features that make it so unique. Though Villepreux-Power’s scientific illustrations were lost to the seas in a shipwreck, this book pays homage to them through exquisitely-rendered, real-to-life drawings of the creature she dedicated her life to.

LP (Linda) Hansen is a New Zealand based author. Marlo Garnsworthy is an author, illustrator, editor, and Antarctic science communicator. When she’s not making books, you’ll find her paddling her kayak, hiking a trail, having adventures in far-flung places, or dreaming of Antarctica. She lives in a National Park on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. Read more about Starfishbay Publishing here. There is a link from their page to a pdf of the Teachers Notes.

Further Reading:

• Museums Victoria
• Jeanne Villepreux-Power: Marine Biologist and Inventor of the Aquarium
• The Seamstress and the Secrets of the Argonaut Shell
• Wikipedia Argonaut (Animal)
• Natural History Museum
• Critter Science

Your school or local library are sure to have lots of books about the Octopus but not all will have information about the argonaut. I did discover this book which I am sure will be in the library:

Red Clover Book Award Vermont US

The Red Clover Book Award is presented to the book selected by children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Each year thousands of Vermont school children read the 10 nominated picture books and cast their votes for their favorite in the spring. The award has been presented annually since 1997.

I have a children's book-loving friend in Vermont. She sent me a message that one of our Australian authors was a winner of their local children's choice award the Red Clover Award. I immediately thought Anna McGregor (Spiro) had flown to the US but then another friend corrected and reminded me that this was more likely to be a Zoom event - and she was right!

Here is the judge's report

Author page blurb: Fergus lives down in the deepest, darkest depths of the sea and is scared of just one thing … the light! Who’s Afraid of the Light? is a fresh and funny new narrative nonfiction picture book from the award-winning creator Anna McGregor. Come on a trip to the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean. There are many fascinating creatures that call it home. There’s nothing to be afraid or … is there?

This fiction/non-fiction mash-up from McGregor contains a factual guide to some of the creatures of the deep ocean at the end, and some fantastic illustration of some fascinating and mysterious fish. There’s an enjoyable anarchic feel here which will appeal to lots of children, and a big surprise reveal too. Great fun. Book Trust

I am so curious about how this Australian book reached the US market. The publisher in Australian and the US is Scribe.

The US bookshop Barnes and Noble said:

This book is ideal for:

• Educators and librarians looking for humorous stories to use as a launching pad for further non-fiction investigation into the ocean environment;
• Parents and carers looking to combine narrative and non-fiction to entertain and educate their children simultaneously;
• Kids who just want funny books!

Awards for Who's Afraid of the Light?

🌟 Yellowhammer Book Awards Picture Book of the Year (Alabama, USA)

🌟 Red Clover Book Award (Vermont, USA)

🌟 dPictus 100 outstanding picture books (Globally) 2024 selection

🌟 WIA World Illustration Awards 2024 Children’s Book Shortlist

🌟 Winner ABDA Book of the Year

🌟 Winner ABDA Best Designed Children’s Book

🌟 Winner of Best Children’s Reader in the Whitley Book Awards

🌟 Shortlisted ABIA Best Children’s Book (Small Publisher)

🌟 Shortlisted Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2024 Children’s Literature 2024

🌟 The Guardian: The best Australian children’s books of 2023

Who's afraid of the Light was also a 2024 White Raven selection.

Other books by Anna McGregor

Here is the 2024-2025 nominee page:

I have previously talked about Ancestory

Take a look at the 2025-2026 nominees.

Other winners of the Red Clover Book Award:

I was interested to see the 2022-23 nominees included Watercress by Andrea Wang. This book won the Caldecott medal BUT it has never arrived here in Australia.

Meet the illustrator Marc Martin

Begin with this video of the book A Forest by Marc Martin - the book is wonderful of course but this is also one of the best book videos I have ever seen. 

Just having my books published has been a highlight! A Forest was originally self-published, but I was lucky enough to get the attention of Penguin Australia who seemed to think it was worthy of a larger publishing deal! Reading the reviews for A Forest has been really exciting, and having the book compared to those by Jeannie Baker (one of my favourite picture book authors) is a real thrill.

Marc Martin is an illustrator and author based in Naarm/Melbourne. He works across a range of commercial projects, murals, editorial work, gallery shows and picture books. He is the author-illustrator of internationally award-winning books, including A Forest, A River, Everything & Everywhere and Masters of Disguise. He has twice been awarded Best Illustrated Picture Book by the New York Times, for A River (2017) and We Are Starlings (2023).

You can follow Marc Martin on Instagram. Perusing the webpages on his agent's site you will see Marc Martin has designed all sorts of things - cups for T2; Melbourne city brochures; wine bottle labels; covers for book catalogues; cushion covers; water bottles and keep cups; a huge city mural; and even a jigsaw (it is a circle and it has 1000 pieces!). You can also see his art and some of these extra things on his own webpage.  Here is a Q&A with Marc. 

Here on this blog I have previously talked about:

A River

Max 

(I own a limited edition print from this book - it is a piece of art I cherish)

A Stone is a Story

Here is the Kirkus review

Here are some other books illustrated by Marc Martin that you are sure to find in your local or school library:

Do not hide this book! Kirkus

Kirkus Star review: Captivating watercolor art immediately draws readers in. Before the title page, a blue-and-green map of Earth’s continents appears, superimposed with 12 circles; each circle contains a portrait of one of the upcoming subjects. Also preceding the title page, the author notes the importance of humans’ protecting habitat in order to save animals, “even when we can’t always see them!” Two double-page spreads are devoted to each animal, starting with chameleons. The first spread for each animal uses an ideal amount of negative space to set off short, titled paragraphs and art that perfectly complements the text. For example, “Sticky Situation” gives fascinating facts about a chameleon’s tongue as one whips across the top of the paragraph. The second double-page spread for each animal offers fun that will entice even 3-year-olds. A small amount of text lets readers know how many of the featured animal are hiding in each lushly painted environment—from eight mimic octopuses to 17 owl butterflies—as well as the names of other animals hidden there. The conversational text clearly defines words such as metamorphosis and opisthoglyphous (having fangs at the back of the upper jaw). Both art and text enhance scientific accuracy with beauty and playfulness—a rare feat. Sturdy pages, too.

If you love art by Sydney Smith from Canada you are certain to fall in love with all the books by our Australian illustrator Marc Martin. 

Here is the new book Dawn [9781529527346] from Marc Martin which will arrive here in September. I have put it at the top of my 'to buy' list.

You can see a few images from this book here. Blurb from author page: As the sun slowly rises, many things happen in a small window of time. The world comes alive with the actions of animals, plants, clouds, and sky. A deer drinks, an owl wakes, a dandelion shimmers in the light. A ladybug climbs, a fish jumps, birds call in a chorus. Geese fly away in formation. A flower blooms. Beautifully illustrated with glowing imagery and written with a charming simplicity holding appeal for new readers, Marc Martin’s ode to the slow-blooming beauty of a sunrise and the life that unfolds in its radiance narrows the lens to show the wonder of time passing. The Kirkus Star review said:

Truly stunning

His other new book is All About Antarctica due for release here in Australia in mid October 2025.

When I attended the USBBY conference in Austin Texas and I spoke at the Texas writer's festival I was keen to take a notebook because I knew there would be lots of great sessions. At the airport I was so delighted to find a notebook with a cover design by Marc Martin.  Here is the pattern on the cover.

Image source: Jacky Winter

IBBY Australia will be running our mini masterpiece art auction again this year as a way to raise funds for our IBBY international membership fee which is more than AUS$10,000. I am going to invite Marc Martin to participate and send us a small postcard sized piece of art for our auction. In 2023 we raised nearly AUS$9000 and we had art from some wonderful Australian illustrators - hopefully this event will be just as exciting in 2025. I hope he agrees to send us a tiny piece of his art as a part of our 2025 auction. Fingers Crossed!

The Wonder Horse by Mark Greenwood

Even if you have heard of Phar Lap, the famous race winning horse, you are sure to discover even more when you read this book. Readers who love history and mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this intriguing story and it is also one to share with horse lovers. I especially loved the descriptions when Phar Lap (also known as Bobby) was taken into a field to enjoy sweet grass and clover. I did find the descriptions of adding heavy weights to make racing harder for Phar Lap, who kept winning, very distressing. I guess I should disclose I am not a fan of horse racing but I was fascinated to read about this special horse/hero.

Discover the answers to these and many other questions in this book:

• Do you know how Phar Lap go this name?
• Where did Phar Lap run his final race?
• Did Phar Lap look like a champion when he was a young colt?
• Did this famous horse win every single race he ever entered?
• Is Phar Lap from Australia?
• What is the sweet treat his trainer always gave him?
• How many races did Phar Lap win?
• What happened on the day of the Melbourne Cup in 1930 before the race?
• Why did the owner and trainer need to protect Phar Lap?
• How do you feel about horse racing after reading this book? 

Here are some other books about Phar Lap that might be in your school library:

Last week I talked about another book from this splendid, thoroughly researched, series. These books are perfect for young curious readers in your library. They are easy to read with short chapters, big print, and page turning stories from history. Huge thanks to Freemantle Press for sending me copies of these two books from the History Hunter series. The Wonder Horse was published early in June 2025. Here are the teachers notes and these are well worth exploring because they contain extra web links and a vocabulary list. Read more details about The Wonder Horse in this blog post from The Bottom Shelf.

Who needs a time machine when you’ve got the History Hunter? He’s your fearless guide, taking you back through time to investigate mysteries that have puzzled the world for generations. From royal treasure rooms to racetracks, you’ll follow the clues, ask the tough questions and maybe even crack the case. These books are a history adventure double-pack that’s cooler than any video game! Better Reading

I previously talked about these horse racing picture books:

Subbie and his mate

Fabish the horse that braved a bushfire

The Epic Race

Lucky's Star: The story of a meteorite by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

Just what is up there in the sky? The stars and the moon are so far away but they are so fascinating. Think about how you might feel if pieces of space - a meteorite - arrived in neighborhood. How exciting to actually touch a piece of rock from outer space. If you look closely at the end papers in Lucky's Star you can see a falling star - this is the meteorite heading to earth.

Lucky's Star is based on the true story of the Murchison Meteorite. Murchison is a town in Victoria and this meteorite arrived at 10.58 on Sunday 18 September 1969. Mark Greenwood takes this historic event and turns it into the personal story of a young farm girl named Lucky. And how lucky she was to see the meteorite and also to find a small piece.

"It was warm to touch and stinky when Lucky popped it in her pocket."

I really appreciated some of the word choices in this book which is one you could share with children aged 5+ - celestial spectacle; locals gossiped; alien germs; cosmic curiositis; baffled; shallow imprints and dimples; star-white flecks; cloaked in darkness; and contraption. You can find a link to the teachers notes on the publisher web page. With young children in your library you could also talk about the way Mark Greenwood has combined a fictional character such as Lucky (think about her name) with the factual events. There are some excellent information pages at the back of this book. 

Image source: Meteorite Times

Further reading:

• Museums Victoria
• ABC Science When a space visitor came to country Victoria
• The Shepparton Advisor newspaper

Lucky decides her little piece of meteorite might mean there is a gap in the sky so she tries to send it back into space. This reminded me of these terrific star books:

Laura's Star

The Lost Star

Star in the jar

Lucky's Star was published last month by CSIRO Publishing. Huge thanks for my review copy. This book is one children in your library are sure to enjoy and it will spark curiosity plus teachers could easily make use this book as part of a mini theme on stars and space. Older children could also use this book as a jumping off point for further research. 

Here are some other books illustrated by Lucia Masciullo:

Eat my Dust

Go home cat!

The Imagineer

Finally if you wanted a fun comparison book look for this one:

It fell from the sky